The Lotto Strike jackpot has rolled over to $1.5 million for this Saturday, marking the first maximum must-be-won draw since it was raised from $1 million to $1.5 million in July this year.
Strike can be both played on its own and is also an add-on to the main Lotto game. It can be added to any Lotto or Powerball ticket or be played on its own for $1 per line.
Lotto NZ head of corporate communications Will Hine said "we're always looking for ways to keep our games exciting".
"With a Must Be Won draw, the $1.5 million available is up for grabs in Strike Four (first division), but if there are no winners there, the money will be bagged by players in the next winning division.
"Nothing else has changed. The odds of winning Strike Four remain the same in a Must Be Won draw so our players do not need to change the way they play – they simply have the chance to win a bigger jackpot prize."
Although Strike is typically played as the add-on game to Lotto and Powerball, Hine said they are expecting an "uptick in players" going for a standalone Strike ticket this weekend.
Lotto NZ said it reminds players that big jackpots still have small odds.
"Customers are encouraged to spend only a little, and only from their entertainment budget."
This year has been a record-breaking year for Lotto. Powerball has so far hit a $30 million jackpot four times in 2024, and the biggest prize ever won on a single ticket of $44.67 million was taken home by one lucky family in August.
Since Strike upgraded its maximum jackpot, two people have won $1.1 million.
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